India launches plan for underground ammunition dumps along borders

[sasi]

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
NEW DELHI: India has launched a major plan to construct underground shelters for storing missiles, rockets and ammunition close to the borders with Pakistan and China. Apart from providing better logistics on the front in the event of a war, these underground dumps will also ensure criticalwar-fighting ordnance is better protected from enemy attacks as well as the weather.Sources saidArmy chief General Bikram Singhis keen that at least 2,000-2,500metrictonnes of ammunition that is"expensive and operationallyimportant'' should be stored in such underground sheltersin the operational areas ofthe NorthernandEastern Army Commands.With Beijing being consideredthe "real long-term threat'' despite the current tensions with Islamabad alongthe Line of Control, two pilot projects have been taken up for construction of"underground and tunnelled'' storage of ammunition in Leh andSikkimalong the"northern borders'' with China.Initially, Army, DRDO and other experts had selected five sites in the north-east and two in J&K for the underground shelters.The choicewas narrowed down toa site each in Leh andSikkimwith the help of "geo-technical reports'', which looked at 40-50 parameters, for the pilot projects."Once the first two projects take off, similar ones will be undertaken along the western border with Pakistan.The underground shelters will make it difficult for the enemy to detect and destroy ourammunition dumps.Both Chinaand the US store most of their ammunition in tunnels, caves and other underground shelters,'' said a source.At present, only around 4.5 lakh of the 8 lakh tonnes of ammunition authorized for theArmy has proper storage facilities in the shape of modern and fire-resistant ammunition storage sheds or storehouses.The restis stored mostly in the open, exposed to the weather. This often leads to explosions, fires and"mishandling of ammunition incidents'' causing regular deaths as well as destructionof ammunition. A devastating blaze at theKhundru ammunition depotin J&K in August 2007, for instance, had killed over 20 people anddestroyed several thousand tonnes of ammunition.India also plans to construct as many as 18 tunnels in states like J&K, Sikkim andArunachal Pradesh, along the borders with Pakistan and China, for faster troop mobility. These tunnels will also be able to store crucial war-fighting assets like missiles as well as provideNBC(nuclear, chemical, biological) protection without the threat of detection by enemy satellites and spy drones, as was earlier reported by TOI.
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[Yusuf]

Army is doing well in its preparations. Two front war theory is being worked at.

 

[Defenceindia2010]

Good development, the armed forces need to have a modern ammunition storage and management system in place which can become a force multiplier. :thumb:

 

[Bhadra]

Good development, the armed forces need to have a modern ammunition storage and management system in place which can become a force multiplier. :thumb:

Besides missiles, rockets and ammunition, Army would require underground storrage fecilities for petrolium products and lubricants to the scales of storing these product upto one months requirement for the theatre.

These depots may thus also act as emergency reserves for the regions. If IA has such fecilities and ordances are stored in forward areas, that would fasten the mobilisation process as also reduce the cost of transportation under emergencies. That would also reduce war losses due to congestion, accidents and enemy actions.